IBM's On Demand Data Centre Services (ODCS) provides flexible computer server resources to customers based on the customer's need. ODCS involves three clssifications of servers: Managed end-point servers, infrastructure servers, and management servers. Managed end-point servers are servers wholly dedicated to a specific customer. Infrastucture servers provide additional “on-demand” capacity to customers, and may be used by more than one customer at a time. System Management servers control the entire ODCS system, managing both the end-point servers and the infrastructure servers.
When a problem or event occurs on any of the servers, a “problem ticket” is generated, either automatically by software that monitors a server for errors, or manually by a user who encounters a problem. U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,500 describes an example of software that automatically detects events and automatically creates a single problem ticket.
In the ODCS environment, multiple problem tickets generally must be opened when a problem occurs that affects multiple systems within the ODCS environment. Moreover, the customer's internal problem ticketing system may also require an open ticket. Additionally, the system used by the party responsible for fixing the problem needs to open an “authoritative” ticket. Other systems affected by the problem need to open an “informational” ticket. All status updates, or “callbacks,” need to be published to each related open ticket. Once the problem is solved and the authoritative ticket is closed, all related informational tickets need to be closed.
A need exists for a system that coordinates the handling of problem tickets across multiple computer systems. The system would first automatically obtain information from an initial problem ticket. The initial problem ticket can either be manually created or automatically created in response to an event. The system would then determine which problem ticketing system (or systems) the initial ticket applies to, open an additional problem ticket for each applicable problem ticketing system, and track and update each related problem ticket until the authoritative ticket is closed, and then close all other related tickets.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.